MEDIA RELEASE

October 22, 2019 (OTTAWA, ON) – The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions calls on Canada’s newly elected Liberal minority government to build unity across party lines to implement a national universal pharmacare program for everyone in the country.

“Canada’s nurses and voters across the country have chosen a progressive Canada that prioritizes the three Ps: people, planet and pharmacare,” said Linda Silas, president of the CFNU. “Nurses call on Prime Minister Trudeau to make good on his promise and build the unity needed to finally implement a national universal pharmacare program for Canada.”

National pharmacare received significant political support during the 2019 election campaign. The NDP and Greens made universal pharmacare central to their election platforms, and the Liberals committed to negotiate with provinces and territories, guided by the recommendations in Dr. Eric Hoskins’ expert report, released this past summer.

“For years, studies have shown that pharmacare will alleviate the suffering of millions of people and save our system billions of dollars every year – but only if we implement a universal single-payer model, as recommended by Dr. Hoskins’ report,” said Silas. “Canada’s nurses call on all parliamentarians to show historic leadership by uniting to build the universal pharmacare program that Canada urgently needs.”

During the election campaign, the CFNU highlighted five key priorities: implementing pharmacare, better care for seniors, addressing rampant violence against health care workers, serious investments in health care and national child care. The CFNU is calling on the federal government to take action on these five key areas.

“On behalf of nearly 200,000 nurses and student nurses across the country, I congratulate all candidates in the 2019 federal election and look forward to working with MPs and Prime Minister Trudeau to enhance and protect Canada’s universal public health care system,” said Silas.

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The CFNU is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization, representing nearly 200,000 nurses and student nurses, and advocating on key health priorities and federal engagement in public health care.